\nI have two projects I work on, as shown below. On the left is a pile of rock, gravel, and soil. When the remodel began, a concrete pad was removed and carried away. Underneath and nearby, the rock and gravel of the driveway was moved 80 feet east. I am sorting the pile and moving the rocks (bigger than a golf ball) to the west of the house into a hole the previous owner had excavated. I’ve moved about half of the piles.
\nThe hole we called Jay’s folly. He intended that it store early-year runoff. Being very rocky, it doesn’t hold water very well. I’m lining the edge of “the folly” with rock to carry a gravel road around the back of the house. Distance between house and road will be about 35 feet. Eventually, the road will be wide and strong enough to carry a fire-fighter’s pumper truck. Sample below.
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/wood-and-dirt-projects-June-23rd-2024.png\")
\nA Bureau of Land Management mini-pumper truck, from the Winnemucca NV area. Lots of gravel, roads in and out, and a cleaned space without brush and trees makes for a \u2013 potentially \u2013 spared house if a wild fire passes by.
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/rocknponderosa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/pumper-truck-mini-300x156.png\")
\nOn the right (above) is my wood-splitting project. Trunk rounds are on the right, split material on the left. I’m halfway done with this, also. Ten days ago, the 2nd half of a double, or split, tree fell at a rental property owned by Dale & Kathy \u2013 son and daughter-in-law of our now deceased neighbors. I brought the first part home last year and just dumped it out of my way. This time the pieces are smaller, so more easily handled. I’m going to get the split pieces under cover. They may dry to under 20% moisture by winter from a start of about 35%. If not split and covered, the seasoning time is closer to two years. Because of the low humidity here, the wood I burn is often closer to 15%.
\nThe tree that fell is along a driveway next to the house. Neither time was there a car there and both times branches “almost” reached the house. There are 4 or 5 similar trees \u2013 with, now, plans to remove all of them. That would be more external wood than I want to deal with, and they may not offer it to me. Besides, it is a 27 mile round-trip. {My eye doctor’s assistant lives in the house.}
\nOn Friday bottling was canceled but there was a lunch at the winery (house) for Eric’s 74th birthday. He is one of the pruners and bottlers, and also, works some at other chores. We will bottle for about two hours on Thursday the 27th. This is a delay caused by the late arrival of parts to fix leaky valves in the filler.
\nI’m headed to the wood pile where shade has arrived. I do a few each day, so should finish by Independence Day. {smile}<\/p>\n